Dear eNews Reader,
I’m hoping that Spring finally settles in so that I can start to plant my flowers and vegetables. In the meantime, our legislative session is being dominated by several policy arguments that have delayed passage of the state budget. Frustration is growing as our focus must remain on funding our schools, health care providers, child care, infrastructure and more. Once this gets settled, the remainder of our time in Albany will be on legislative matters. I am hoping to accomplish as much as I can for our community before my retirement at the end of the year.
Donna
Historic Downtown Building Under Renovation
You may have seen the crane in Downtown Binghamton this past week, with crews working on the installation of new rooftop HVAC units at Boscov’s. This is part of ongoing renovations at the historic building owned by the Binghamton Local Development Corp. It is supported by a $5M Assembly grant I secured along with funding from the City, County, and Boscov’s. The former Fowler’s has served as a retail anchor at that spot since 1900. It’s important that we protect these buildings for future generations.
Read more about the history of the building here.
BOCES Expo Showcases Local Students
I met some remarkable students from Broome-Tioga BOCES at the annual BOCES EXPO at the Capitol, which featured students from 28 BOCES across the state. They had one of the most popular booths, featuring their Sisterhood of the Trades Program, which supports female students in trades careers. Alonah (M-E), Brianna (Vestal), Yasmeen (U-E) and Madelyn (Vestal) are studying auto, technology, and construction programs, and advocated for implementing this initiative statewide.
Animal Advocacy Day at the Capitol
I once again co-sponsored Animal Advocacy Day at the Capitol. It’s a great opportunity for advocacy groups to showcase the amazing work they do on behalf of companion and farm animals. We were happy to welcome Marilyn Swineroe, a therapy pig, along with advocates against industrial octopus farming, and numerous birds and other animals who came to visit. I look forward to this tradition continuing for many years to come.
Stay Safe this Tick Season
As the weather gets warmer, it’s important to be educated on tick-borne illnesses. My office worked with the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences to produce an informational webinar on tick season and tick-borne diseases that can be viewed at any time. With the high prevalence of ticks in NYS and throughout the Southern Tier, the goal was to provide an easily accessible source of information for the community. You can view the webinar below.
Grateful to Receive Recognitions
I was recently recognized by the Central NY Area Labor Federation (the regional affiliate of the NYS AFL-CIO) as a “Champion of Labor.” It’s been an honor to stand with labor during my time in the State Assembly. “Unions have been the only powerful and effective voice working people have ever had in the history of this country.” -Bruce Springsteen
I also attended the Stella D’Argento Ladies Lodge #1916 85th Anniversary Gala. As a proud member of the Lodge for 27 years, I was honored to be recognized along with Biagio Isgro. The members of the lodge are like family to me.
